Container cap with liquid-dissolvable additive

ABSTRACT

A container cap includes a housing having an inner thread for engaging with an outer thread of a mouth of a receptacle, and a casing extended inwardly from an upper wall and spaced from the housing for forming an inner peripheral space between the casing and the housing, and a compartment formed in the casing for receiving a liquid-dissolvable additive, a membrane attached to the casing for retaining the liquid-dissolvable additive within the compartment of the casing, and a piercing device may be used for selectively piercing the membrane to allowing the liquid-dissolvable additive to be released from the compartment of the casing and introduced into the receptacle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a container, and more particularly to a container cap including an enclosed or sealed compartment for receiving a liquid-dissolvable additive or material therein and including an opening device for selectively opening the compartment and for selectively releasing the liquid-dissolvable additive or material into the container body and for mixing with or for being dissolved in the human-consumable beverage or liquid contained in the container body.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical containers comprise a container body including a chamber formed therein for receiving a human-consumable liquid or beverage, such as water, milk, soft drinks, fruit juices, etc., and a cap attached onto the container body for selectively closing or opening the chamber of the container body, and for suitably retaining the human-consumable liquid or beverage within the container body.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,109 to Schoo et al. discloses one of the typical container caps for attaching onto the container body and for selectively closing or opening the chamber of the container body.

In addition, an annular disk is further provided and engaged within the cap and is made of liquid-dissolvable additive or material, such as flavoring, coloring, vitamins, baby formula, water-purifying chemicals, nutrients, fluoride, electrolyte-affecting chemicals, or any other human-consumable additive that dissolves in the human-consumable liquid.

However, the additive disk is in a solidified form and may be formed by displacing the material with the injecting device or a mold during formation of the disk, such that the additive disk may not be easily and quickly dissolved and may not be completely dissolved before the human-consumable liquid or beverage is consumed. In addition, the additive disk may not be dissolved inadvertently when the typical container is disposed up side down. Furthermore, the additive disk may not be dissolved when the human-consumable liquid or beverage contained within the chamber of the container body is a soda beverage that may not be shaken by the users.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional caps for the containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a container cap including an enclosed or sealed compartment for receiving a liquid-dissolvable additive or material therein and including an opening device for selectively opening the compartment and for selectively releasing the liquid-dissolvable additive or material into the container body and for mixing with or for being dissolved in the human-consumable beverage or liquid contained in the container body.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a container cap comprising a housing including an inner thread formed therein for engaging with an outer thread of a mouth of a receptacle, and including an upper wall, and including a casing extended inwardly from the upper wall and spaced from the housing for forming an inner peripheral space between the casing and the housing and for selectively receiving the mouth of the receptacle, and including a compartment formed in the casing, a liquid-dissolvable additive received in the compartment of the casing, a membrane attached to the casing for closing the compartment of the casing and for retaining the liquid-dissolvable additive within the compartment of the casing, and a piercing device for selectively piercing the membrane to allowing the liquid-dissolvable additive to be released from the compartment of the casing when required and to be introduced or filled into the receptacle, and for mixing with or for being dissolved in the human-consumable beverage or liquid contained in the inner chamber of the receptacle.

The piercing device includes a piercing device attached to the upper wall and extended into the compartment of the casing, and extended toward the membrane for selectively engaging with and piercing the membrane and for allowing the liquid-dissolvable additive to be released from the compartment of the casing when the piercing device is forced toward the membrane.

The upper wall of the housing is preferably made of compressible material, such as rubber, plastic, or other synthetic materials for allowing the upper wall of the housing to be depressed or compressed or deformed by the users. The housing includes a hinged band for openably locking the container cap to the mouth of the receptacle.

The piercing device includes a sharp end extended toward the membrane for selectively engaging with and piercing the membrane when the upper wall of the housing is depressed or compressed or deformed by the users. The piercing device includes a triangular blade having the sharp end formed on the triangular blade for piercing the membrane.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a container with a container cap in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the container cap and the container, in which one half of the container cap is cut off for showing an inner structure of the container cap;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the container taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the operation of the container cap;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4, illustrating the other arrangement of the container;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the container cap as shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view similar to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, illustrating the further arrangement of the container; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the container cap as shown in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a container 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises a container body or receptacle 10 including a chamber 11 formed therein for receiving a human-consumable beverage or liquid 80, such as water, milk, soft drinks, fruit juices, tea, etc., and a container cap 30 for attaching onto the receptacle 10 and for selectively closing or opening the chamber 11 of the receptacle 10, and for suitably retaining the human-consumable beverage or liquid 80 within the receptacle 10. The receptacle 10 includes a cylindrical mouth 12 formed or provided on the upper portion thereof having a passage 13 formed therein and communicating with the chamber 11 of the receptacle 10 for allowing the beverage or liquid 80 to be drunk by the users when required, and includes an outer thread 14 formed or provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical mouth 12.

The cap 30 includes a cylindrical housing 31 having an inner thread 32 formed or provided in the inner peripheral portion of the cylindrical housing 31 for threading or engaging with the outer thread 14 of the mouth 12 of the receptacle 10 and for detachably attaching or securing the cap 30 onto the mouth 12 of the receptacle 10, and includes a detachable or breakable or releasable and pivoted or hinged band 33 for openably locking the cap 30 to the mouth 12 of the receptacle 10. The receptacle 10 may further include a peripheral flange 15 extended laterally and outwardly from the mouth 12 for engaging with the hinged band 33 or the cylindrical housing 31 of the cap 30 (FIGS. 1, 3-4) and for limiting the cap 30 to rotate relative to the mouth 12 of the receptacle 10, or for solidly retaining the cap 30 to the mouth 12 of the receptacle 10. The above-described structure is typical and will not be described in further details.

The cap 30 further includes a cylindrical casing or wall or partition 34 extended downwardly or inwardly from an upper wall 35 of the cap 30 or extended into the inner portion of the housing 31 and spaced from the housing 31 for forming or defining an annular or inner peripheral space 36 between the casing 34 and the housing 31 and for selectively receiving the cylindrical mouth 12 of the receptacle 10 (FIGS. 3, 4), and includes a compartment 37 formed in the cylindrical casing 34 for receiving a liquid-dissolvable additive or material 88 (FIGS. 3, 4), and includes a puncturable or pierceable film or membrane 40 attached to the bottom portion 38 of the casing 34 for enclosing or closing or sealing the compartment 37 of the casing 34 and for suitably retaining the liquid-dissolvable additive or material 88 within the compartment 37 of the casing 34 (FIG. 3).

The liquid-dissolvable additive or material 88 may be made of or selected from such as flavoring, coloring, vitamins, baby formula, water-purifying chemicals, nutrients, fluoride, electrolyte-affecting chemicals, tea, condensed milk, medicine, juice powder, coffee, soda material, or any other human-consumable additive that dissolves in the human-consumable beverage or liquid 80. A breaking or piercing means or device 50 may further be provided or attached to or extended downwardly or inwardly from such as the upper wall 35 or extended into the compartment 37 of the casing 34, and extended toward the membrane 40 for selectively engaging with the membrane 40 or for selectively breaking or piercing the membrane 40 (FIG. 4) and thus for allowing the liquid-dissolvable additive or material 88 contained in the compartment 37 of the casing 34 to be released and introduced or filled into the chamber 11 of the receptacle 10 and for mixing with or for being dissolved in the human-consumable beverage or liquid 80.

The upper wall 35 of the housing 31 is made of flexible or compressible materials, such as rubber, plastic, or other synthetic materials, for allowing the upper wall 35 of the housing 31 to be depressed or compressed or deformed by the users (FIG. 4), in order to force or to actuate the breaking or piercing means or device 50 to engage with the membrane 40 or to selectively break or pierce the membrane 40 (FIG. 4) and to allow the liquid-dissolvable additive or material 88 contained in the compartment 37 of the casing 34 to be released from the casing 34 and to be introduced or filled into the chamber 11 of the receptacle 10 and for mixing with or for being dissolved in the human-consumable beverage or liquid 80 when required.

The housing 31 may further include an upper peripheral portion or upper peripheral fence 39 extended upwardly beyond the upper wall 35 of the housing 31 or at least flush with the upper wall 35 of the housing 31 for protecting the upper wall 35 and for preventing the upper wall 35 from being depressed or compressed or deformed by the other objects inadvertently. In operation, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper wall 35 of the housing 31 may be depressed or compressed or deformed by the users when required, in order to force or to actuate the breaking or piercing means or device 50 to pierce the membrane 40 and to release the liquid-dissolvable additive or material 88 from the compartment 37 of the casing 34 into the chamber 11 of the receptacle 10 for mixing or blending with or for being dissolved in the human-consumable beverage or liquid 80.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the breaking or piercing means or device 50 may include a triangular or shaped structure or blade 51 made of the flexible or compressible materials similar to or identical to or different from that for the upper wall 35 or the housing 31, and having a sharp lower end 52 extended toward the membrane 40 and contacted or engaged with or separated from the membrane 40 and arranged for allowing the membrane 40 to be broken or pierced by the blade 51 of the breaking or piercing means or device 50 when the upper wall 35 of the housing 31 is depressed or compressed or deformed by the users.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the breaking or piercing means or device 501 may include a cone-shaped piercing member 53 attached to the lower portion of the blade 511 extended toward the membrane 40 and contacted or engaged with or separated from the membrane 40 and arranged for allowing the membrane 40 to be broken or pierced by the piercing member 53 of the breaking or piercing means or device 501. Further alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the breaking or piercing means or device 502 may include a piercing member 54 having the other shape and attached to the lower portion of the blade 512 extended toward the membrane 40 and contacted or engaged with or separated from the membrane 40 and arranged for allowing the membrane 40 to be broken or pierced by the piercing member 54 of the breaking or piercing means or device 502.

Accordingly, the container cap in accordance with the present invention includes an enclosed or sealed compartment for receiving a liquid-dissolvable additive or material therein and including an opening device for selectively opening the compartment and for selectively releasing the liquid-dissolvable additive or material into the container body and for mixing with or for being dissolved in the human-consumable beverage or liquid contained in the container body when required.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A container cap comprising: a housing including an inner thread formed therein for engaging with an outer thread of a mouth of a receptacle, and including an upper wall, and including a casing extended inwardly from said upper wall and spaced from said housing for forming an inner peripheral space between said casing and said housing and for selectively receiving the mouth of the receptacle, and including a compartment formed in said casing, a liquid-dissolvable additive received in said compartment of said casing, a membrane attached to said casing for closing said compartment of said casing and for retaining said liquid-dissolvable additive within said compartment of said casing, and means for selectively piercing said membrane to allowing said liquid-dissolvable additive to be released from said compartment of said casing when required.
 2. The container cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said piercing means includes a piercing device attached to said upper wall and extended into said compartment of said casing, and extended toward said membrane for selectively engaging with and piercing said membrane and for allowing said liquid-dissolvable additive to be released from said compartment of said casing when said piercing device is forced toward said membrane.
 3. The container cap as claimed in claim 2, wherein said upper wall of said housing is made of compressible material.
 4. The container cap as claimed in claim 2, wherein said piercing device includes a sharp end extended toward said membrane for selectively engaging with and piercing said membrane.
 5. The container cap as claimed in claim 4, wherein said piercing device includes a triangular blade having said sharp end formed on said triangular blade.
 6. The container cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a hinged band for openably locking said container cap to the mouth of the receptacle. 